Centering the Margins in Digital Spaces

What does it even mean to create “safer spaces” in digital? Is it even possible?

Spoiler alert—it is possible if you make intentional decisions about centering marginalized people in your work. During presentation, learn how to move your company or organization from symbolic commitments to diversity toward action-oriented plans for equitable content creation. You’ll learn four ways to center marginalized people in your digital spaces and why this commitment is essential for your brand to be truly socially responsible.

This presentation will help you:

*Know how to talk to stakeholders about why equity matters in your digital environments.
*Be able to identify concrete ways to center marginalized communities in your work.
*Have a better understanding about how bias informs content creation.

Transcript

1. CENTERING THE MARGINS IN DIGITAL SPACES M A R C H A É G R A I R
2. • Beyoncé Lover. • Enthusiastic Ohioan living in Boston. • Dedicated to working in nonprofits, mostly in the religious sector. A B O U T M E :
3. G R O U P A G R E E M E N T S F O R T H E P R E S E N TAT I O N • N O F I N G E R - P O I N T I N G Assume the work begins with you. • L E AV E R E A D Y T O TA K E A C T I O N Aim to leave with one way your team can work differently. • D O N ’ T G E T D E F E N S I V E , G E T C U R I O U S If something makes you feel defensive, don’t shut down. Ask yourself why.
4. M A R G I N A L I Z E D : [ M A H R - J U H - N L - A H Y Z - D ] A D J E C T I V E : Experiencing discrimination and isolation because of identity. Pushed to the margins of society.
5. 1 . M A K E C L E A R C O M M I T M E N T S T O A N T I - O P P R E S S I O N I N A L L D I G I TA L S PA C E S , E S P E C I A L LY S O C I A L M E D I A .
6. Y O U C A N ’ T E X P E C T P E O P L E T O E N G A G E W I T H A B R A N D T H AT D O E S N ’ T A D V O C AT E F O R T H E I R H U M A N I T Y.
7. "We're very worried about people's rights…A lot of political speech is being labeled as hate speech and is simply being wiped off the map." -Utsav Sanduja, former Gab. COO B E I N G N E U T R A L I N D I G I TA L S PA C E S M A K E S R O O M F O R B I G O T RY
8. “HIAS (Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society) likes to bring invaders in that kill our people. I can’t sit by and watch my people get slaughtered. Screw your optics, I’m going in.” -Robert Bowers Killed 11, injured 6 at Tree of Life Synagogue A Gab post:
9. Create community guidelines that say what you won’t tolerate and who you will support. We are: Against racism Against sexism Against transantagonism Against heterosexism We will center the voices of: People of color Women/nonbinary folks Trans people Queer communities
10. U U A C O M M U N I T Y G U I D E L I N E S
11. •Give a brief warning if content could cause distress, especially related to trauma. 
 C O N T E N T A N D T R I G G E R WA R N I N G S
12. C O N T E N T WA R N I N G
13. P U T I T I N T O P R A C T I C E D I S P L AY C O M M I T M E N T S P R O M I N E N T LY- •O N S O C I A L M E D I A B I O S •I N A B O U T S E C T I O N S •I N I N T E R N A L T R A I N I N G M AT E R I A L S •I N C L O S E D G R O U P C O M M U N I T Y G U I D E L I N E S
14. A N D … . E X P L A I N W H AT H A P P E N S I F C O M M U N I T Y M E M B E R S V I O L AT E G U I D E L I N E S • WA R N I N G P O L I C Y • A C C O U N T S U S P E N S I O N • A C C O U N T / F O L L O W E R B A N
15. 2 . B E H O N E S T I N Y O U R C O N T E N T C R E AT I O N — S U P E R F I C I A L D I V E R S I T Y I S H A R M F U L .
18. •If your soda can’t combat racism, don’t imply that it can. •Co-opting dehumanizes people actually fighting back against oppression. It makes their lives look easy. D O N ’ T C O - O P T M E S S A G I N G
19. IF YOU’RE GOING TO CENTER SOCIAL JUSTICE IN STORYTELLING OR ADVER TISING, A PERSON/GROUP’S REAL EXPERIENCE MUST BE AT THE CENTER OF THE NARRATIVE.
20. AT H L E T E S W H O FA C E D I S C R I M I N AT I O N Special outfit to stop blood clots banned and labeled disrespectful by officials from the French Open. Punished by NFL owners for protests of police brutality. source: Instagram source: Twitter
21. E M P O W E R I N G A D S T E L L I N G T H E I R S T O RY, T H E I R WAY
22. P U T I T I N T O P R A C T I C E •C R E AT E M E S S A G I N G A B O U T W H AT Y O U R C O M PA N Y D O E S , N O T W H AT I T WA N T S T O B E . ( R E M E M B E R , S O D A C A N ’ T F I X R A C I S M . ) •M E E T W I T H S TA K E H O L D E R S A N D I D E N T I F Y G A P S B E T W E E N A S P I R AT I O N A L M E S S A G I N G A N D Y O U R M I S S I O N .
23. T H E G E N D E R S P E C T R U M C O L L E C T I O N Photo credits: The Gender Spectrum Collection
24. 3 . H O N O R M A R G I N A L I Z E D E X P E R I E N C E S A S A U S E R C O N T E X T.
26. H O W W O U L D A M A R G I N A L I Z E D P E R S O N ’ S U S E R C O N T E X T I M PA C T T H E I R E X P E R I E N C E O F Y O U R B R A N D ?
27. Q U E S T I O N : W H AT M I C R O A G G R E S S I O N S D O E S A B L A C K W O M A N E X P E R I E N C E R E A D I N G W O M E N ’ S M A G A Z I N E S ?
28. W H AT ’ S B E A U T I F U L ? • C O S M O P U B L I S H E D A P I E C E C A L L E D “ 2 1 B E A U T Y T R E N D S T H AT N E E D T O D I E I N 2 0 1 5 . ” 
 • A L L T H E W O M E N I N T H E “ H E L L O G O R G E O U S ” C O L U M N W E R E W H I T E E X C E P T O N E .
29. “You have to start a business to solve something that's a personal pain point. That's where the best businesses come from.”- Whitney Wolfe, Bumble founder
30. S E N S I T I V I T Y R E A D E R S A sensitivity reader reviews content to check for cultural competency and are especially for people creating content outside of their lived experience.
31. P U T I T I N T O P R A C T I C E •C R E AT E J O U R N E Y M A P S A N D F O C U S O N E L I M I N AT I N G E X I S T I N G A N D P O T E N T I A L PA I N P O I N T S .
32. 4 . R E M E M B E R T H I S S AY I N G : “ N O T H I N G A B O U T U S W I T H O U T U S . ”
33. IF YOU DON’T HAVE MARGINALIZED PEOPLE CREATING CONTENT AND MAKING DECISIONS ABOUT CONTENT, YOU CAN’T CREATE AUTHENTIC CONTENT FOR MARGINALIZED PEOPLE.
34. W H E R E I S Y O U R I N V I TAT I O N ? When you are hiring or working with freelancers…. •Use language that explicitly encourages people from the margins to submit their work. •Make the invitation regular practice, not just when content needs relate to a marginalization.
35. W H E R E I S Y O U R I N V I TAT I O N ?
36. P U T I T I N T O P R A C T I C E •M A K E I N C L U S I O N A N D E Q U I T Y A K E Y P R I O R I T Y F O R H I R I N G A N D O N G O I N G E M P L O Y M E N T. •B U I L D R E L AT I O N S H I P S W I T H I D E N T I T Y- C E N T E R E D O R G A N I Z AT I O N S A N D P R O F E S S I O N A L G R O U P S . •PAY F O R L A B O R . A LWAY S . N O E X C E P T I O N S .
37. “ S TA N D I N G O N T H E S I D E ” O F L O V E B E C O M E S “ S I D E W I T H L O V E ”
38. A R E C A P O N C E N T E R I N G T H E M A R G I N S I N D I G I TA L S PA C E S : • Make clear commitments to anti- oppression. • Avoid superficial diversity. • Treat marginalized experiences as a user context. • Remember: “Nothing about us without us.”
39. I L O O K F O R WA R D T O Y O U R F E E D B A C K ! G I V E C O N FA B Y O U R F E E D B A C K